Apple's mixed reality headset could finally come to light this summer. This has been going on for quite some time, since 2015 to be precise.
Once every few months, a report claims that it's happening, only to be followed by another that says it has been pushed back again.
HTC is not worried about Apple launching a mixed reality device
This time, the news comes from a different source, HTC's CEO and co-founder, Cher Wang. The Taiwanese entrepreneur told CNBC in an interview during the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, that Apple could launch its mixed reality headset in the 2nd half of this year. She also said that Apple would prefer to announce an XR (extended reality) product over augmented reality glasses. This is something which other Apple experts have agreed upon.
HTC's Cher Wang says that Apple entering the market with Meta, Samsung, proves that HTC's direction was correct. She also said welcomed the competition, indicating that HTC is not worried about a new rival capturing the market. Remember when people wrote-off the Apple Watch as a failure even before it launched? Look where it has come to now, it is one of the most successful smartwatches in the world, and has proven to be a life-saver in many situations. That's why I think companies should be wary of Apple's XR product, we could very well be looking at the next big thing in tech.
A few weeks ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple had originally planned to launch its mixed-reality headset in April this year. But it discovered some software and hardware issues during product testing, these were related to the sensors for the hand and eye control, performance and battery life. After analyzing the results, the company decided to delay the announcement to fix the issues. The Silicon Valley giant is now said to be planning to unveil the mixed-reality device, codenamed N301, at the Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) 2023 in June this year. This tallies with what HTC's Cher Wang had to say, in fact it gives the rumor more weight.
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The Cupertino company will also announce a new operating system for the device called xrOS. It will reportedly offer a 3D-experience of an iOS-like interface with such as Safari, TV, Mail, Messages, an immersive video streaming experience, virtual video conferencing, etc. The device will have its own App Store too.
Gurman's report states that the Apple mixed-reality headset will be powered by an M2 Apple Silicon chip, and will be backed by an external battery. It will feature several cameras for augmented reality, and is equipped with a couple of 4K virtual reality displays. Now, that sounds like an expensive ordeal.
The Apple mixed-reality headset will reportedly be priced at a whopping $3,000, and could hit the market at the end of the year. That would be twice as expensive as Meta's Quest Pro, which debuted last October with a $1,500 price tag. Apple is apparently prepping a more affordable mixed-reality headset, with cheaper components, and it could be released in early 2024.
Apple is also expected to announce the next-gen iMac, a new MacBook Air at WWDC 2023, with an all-new M3 chip.
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